The present invention is concerned with a connector which allows for the connection of a branched circuit to a dual lead electrical cord without the need to cut the electrical cord. It is contemplated that the principal application for the connector of the invention will be in electrical lighting systems that are used for household safety and decorative lighting.
Many connectors have been described in the prior art for use in making branched circuits from an electrical cord. U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,448 discloses a connector which has a base with two opposed sections that define a channel for receiving a dual lead electrical cord. The distal ends of the each section of the base have a threaded cap which presses the cord into piercing engagement with a pair of nails in the channel. Passages are provided in the base for the split ends of a cord for connecting and holding the split ends in electrical contact with the nails. This device requires the use of threaded set screws to hold the nails in fixed contact with the split ends of the cord.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,090 provides a connector that is intended for use in a lighting system for decorative miniature houses and village displays. The connector of U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,090 has a base element which has half-round channels to receive a dual lead electrical cord and holes which extend into the base in a transverse orientation to the half-round channels. Slits are provided in the base which extend under one-half of each channel to receive metal piercing elements which are adapted to pierce the insulation of an electrical connector and provide an electrical connection between separate conductor elements. A top element, having complimentary half-round channels, engages the base to press the electrical cord conductors onto the metal piercing elements. The metal piercing elements or blades are held by a friction fit and may make electrical contact on the sides of the base with conductors, foils or other grounded objects. In addition this device is only useful for rounded electrical power cords and not for power cords having a flat profile.
Accordingly a need exists for a simple to use, fully insulated connector which allows a branched circuit to be quickly connected to a dual conductor power cord.
The invention provides an electrical connector having a base member having a first channel for a dual conductor main power cord and a top member having a second channel for a dual conductor branched circuit power cord, the first channel comprising a divider which is adapted to fit between the dual conductors of said main power cord to maintain a space between the conductors of said dual conductor main power cord and the second channel comprising means to hold said dual conductor branched circuit power cord in a substantially transverse direction to said first channel, said connector also including two electrically conductive bus bars fitted into retaining means in said top member, said bus bars having at each end a piercing element adapted to penetrate the electrical insulation of a power cord to provide an electrical connection between said main power cord and said branched circuit power cord; and a retainer means which is sized to engage a channel in said top member to force said branched power cord against said piercing elements of said bus bars to establish and maintain electrical conductivity between said main power cord and said branched circuit power cord.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a fully insulated electrical connector which may be used to tap a branched circuit off of a power cord without severing the conductors and without removing the insulation of any part of the conductors of the branched circuit.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a fully insulated electrical connector which securely holds the main electrical power cord and the branched circuit power cord.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a fully insulated electrical connector which securely holds the main electrical power cord and the branched circuit power cord and provides a means to mount the connector to a surface.
It is also an object of this invention to provide an electrical conductive bus bar having ends which are adapted to contact a portion of the circumference of electrical conductors in order to provide a secure electrical connection between the main power cord and the branched circuit power cord.
It is also an object of this invention to provide in the novel electrical connector, means for mounting the electrical connector to a surface. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the specification.